Knowing we have a 2.4 mile swim coming up next month, we decided to give it a try. I’m not gonna lie, it was a challenge, but I loved it! While I knew I could swim the distance, I was not ready quite ready for the current that awaited us on Saturday.

During the briefing, the race director mentioned a little bit of a current, but most of us waved it off and went our ways. Luckily, Pablo swam out far enough during his warm up to feel the current and he warned me to be ready for it.

I had planned to practice drafting, so my focus as we started swimming was to find a suitable swimmer. I don’t know how the rest of you feel about drafting, but I figured since it’s legal, I may as well practice it. I quickly found a girl who was just a little faster than me and was able to successfully draft off of her for the first 0.5 mile, which was the first buoy.

After the first buoy, it felt like she was going off course too much, so I decided to swim it alone….hindsight, she probably was swimming closer to the coast to avoid the current that I swam straight into.

The distance between mile marker 0.5 and 1.0 seemed to take forever! When I finally made it to mile 1 and looked at my watch it read 59 minutes. Fifty-nine minutes! It normally takes me under 45 min to swim 1.2 miles. I was a little discouraged, but also motivated to get to the 1.2 mile turnaround as quickly as possible, because I knew that would mean the end of my battle with the current.

Wow was that turnaround point amazing!!

What took me over an hour to do in one direction took me about 34 minutes in the opposite direction and before I knew it I was out of the water and crossing the finish line 2.4 miles later!

I ended up doing pretty well finishing in 1:39:08 and coming out of the water 12th in my under 44 female age group. Pablo did awesome winning the under 44 male age group and a fun Swim for Life mug! Go Pablo!

Post-swim we chatted with some fellow DC Tri Clubbers, including our friend Stephanie who was the 2nd female out of the water for the 5-mile swim (yes, five miles), and enjoyed a yummy meal brought to us by the ladies of Heart to Hand one of the event’s charity partners.

Pablo and I didn’t fundraise before the event, because we signed up at the last minute, but I plan on donating some of the money raised in my upcoming Fundraising Auction/Raffle to Swim For Life, which brings me to the next part of my post: my fundraising event and the awesome companies who have donated products for the auction and raffle.

Of course I brought it with me on Saturday and I was super happy I did, because the bathrooms were crowded at the start and my towel allowed me to quickly switch into a better swim top before the race and into dry clothes post-race. As always multiple people complimented me and asked me where I had gotten it. Well folks, I have awesome news! OrangeMud has donated a Transition Wrap for the Auction!

What’s so cool about the OrangeMud Transition Wrap?

1. The Transition Wrap is the answer to parking lot, beach and trail head gear changes. The wrap is designed with the simple goal of not having your towel fall off while changing from regular clothes to run/bike/swim/surf/etc and vice versa. It stays around your waist or chest securely via a built in belt clip.

2. The Transition Wrap also serves as a Seat Wrap to keep your car clean. The towel has a zip on hoodie, which you slip over your seat back, so when you sit down, the wrap does not slide off your seat.

It’s a high quality towel and if you have the winning bid at the auction you’ll be able to pick whichever color you want!

So come back starting August 20 for a chance to get your very own Orange Mud Transition Wrap and help me raise money for Swim for Life and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

Awesome job on the swim!! How lucky are you to be able to race the IM distance before the actual IM, I’m jealous! I have been looking into getting an Orange Mud towel for the longest time now… thanks for confirming that it’s a great purchase! Must order one asap!

Don’t order one just yet! Come bid on one at my auction and your money will go to a great cause and you’ll get a chance to win some raffle items too! (and I’m trying to get a discount code post-auction for anyone who didn’t win the auction).

At first I thought about doing the 2 mile swim, but I’m glad I chose the 2.4. It’s def nice to know I can do it and I feel ready for the swim…the bike and run are a different story, def still need to reach the peak mileage for those and this hot weather has made me doubt my running….

Hope training is going well! And don’t forget to join us for Ironwoman Wednesday!

Hi! I’m Lean Green Island Girl Gabi! I’m from Curaçao and currently live in the DC Metro Area. I’m a runner, 5K to 26.2, triathlete and Ironman! I’m also a Behavior Coach working with clients on mastering healthy habits & behaviors, so they can live happier, healthier and more balanced lives.[Read more]